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Prewriting: Choosing a Topic/Transcript
Transcript The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A hand sets the dial of a timer. TIM: Ready, set, go! The timer clicks, starting its countdown. Tim and Moby are both writing. The timer stops. (ding!) TIM: Alright, let's see what we've got here. Tim's sheet of paper reads blue, water, thirst, hunger, stomach, hurts, broken arm, skiing, eight years old. Moby's list appears and reads, blue, monkeys. TIM: How did you get from blue to monkeys? MOBY: Beep. TIM (reading from a note): Dear Tim and Moby: I have a really hard time coming up with ideas for my writing. I need some help. From, Justin. Prewriting can help you get your brain in gear. It will help you collect your ideas and get them down on paper. Moby and I were just doing this word association thing, where you start with one word, time yourself for a couple of minutes, and write down all the words that you can think of that relate. Tim's list reappears onscreen. TIM: You start to see some personal connections, and you find some good material. It gets you thinking, and it’s fun. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yeah, who would have thought that the word blue would have made me remember breaking my arm when I was eight? Tim sets the timer again. TIM: Freewriting is another way to get ideas flowing. Moby writes with a pencil. TIM: You put your pencil to the paper and just start to write, about anything at all. The only rule is that you can't stop writing until the time's up. (ding) Moby stops writing. Tim reads from Moby's paper. TIM: I am tired and I wish I could stop doing this exercise because I don't have anything to write but I can't stop writing so I guess I can talk about my day—today we went to a new park down the street and went on this cool slide and I made sparks. Moby sneaks away, off screen. TIM: See? It's not so hard. Moby stands between two book shelves. TIM: The best way to generate ideas is to write every day. Moby holds up a book titled Tim's Journal. TIM: Um, I've slacked off a little lately, but keeping a journal is a good habit for everybody. You can read through your journal for inspiration. Moby: Beep. Moby reads through Tim’s journal. TIM: You're right. That would make a good story! And getting into the habit of writing every day will make it less scary when an assignment comes along 'cause you’re already writing all the time! MOBY: Beep. The inside of Tim's journal appears, showing his writing and photograph of him with a broken arm on a ski slope when he was eight years old. TIM: I going to use this. Tim removes the photograph from his journal. TIM: I'm just going to start writing, from the point of view of a kid who is on his first ski trip, and see where it takes me. Tim holds up the photograph of himself as a kid. MOBY: Beep? Moby continues to read from Tim’s journal. TIM: No, I don't want to write about that; that's too embarrassing. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Ooh, that's way too embarrassing. Moby turns the page of the journal. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Again, that's way too-- Hey, stop reading my journal! Category:BrainPOP Transcripts